Fabric Softening Composition

The present invention relates to fabric softening compositions.

Fabric softening compositions are known in the art for imparting benefits such as softness and/or antistatic properties to the treated fabric. These compositions are typically in liquid form and are used as part of a washing process in an automatic washing machine. Usually the composition cannot be used to in any other fabric treatment process, e.g. such as an ironing aid.

There is a need for flexible dosing of fabric conditioning agents in other fabric treatments.

According to the present invention there is provided a solid fabric softening suitable for use as one or more of:-

a) an in-wash fabric conditioner, b) an ironing aid, c) a clothing refresher, and d) a wardrobe deodoriser.

The composition is preferably in the form of a powder, however other solid formulations are contemplated such as tablets, either made by compaction or by extruding.

In some uses the solid formulations may be dispersed in a liquid carrier before use. A preferred liquid carrier is water. Other suitable liquid carriers include organic solvents. Preferred organic solvents are; monohydric alcohol, such as ethanol, propa- nol, iso-propanol or butanol; dihydric alcohol, such as glycol; trihydric alcohols, such as glycerol, and polyhydric (polyol) alcohols.

The composition preferably comprises a cationic fabric softener.

Cationic fabric softener

A cationic fabric softening active is an essential ingredient of the invention. Typical levels within the compositions are from 3 to 45%, preferably from 4 to 25%, ideally from 10 to 25%, by weight of the composition.

The preferred, typical, cationic fabric softening actives include the water-dispersible quaternary-ammonium fabric softeners or amine precursors thereof:

Preferred quaternary ammonium compounds herein have the formula (I) or (Ia), and include a mixture thereof;

[R'-(CO>O-R-N ^f (-R"X-(RO> ₁ HX-R-α(CO>R')F (Q

[RHCOyNH-R-N'C-R'X-iROμiK-R-NH^COyROPCgb.)

wherein:

R is an alkylene or alkenylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms;

R' is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms; n is an integer having a value of 1 to 4; R" is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R ¹ is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or hydrogen; and

X ^" is a softener-compatible anion.

Non-limiting examples of softener-compatible anions (X ^" ) include chloride, formate, nitrate, sulfate or Ci _-4 alkyl sulfate, preferably methyl sulfate.

The alkyl or alkenyl R' ideally must contain at least 10 carbon atoms, preferably at least 14 carbon atoms, more preferably at least 16 carbon atoms. The group may be straight or branched.

Unsaturated fatty acid and partially hydrogenated fatty acid derived from vegetable oils are usually convenient and relatively inexpensive sources of long chain alkyl and alkenyl material. The preferred compounds wherein R'represents these mixtures of

long chain materials includes, but is not limited to, rape-seed oil, canola oil, peanut oil and sunflower oil. A preferred, non-vegetable sourced, R' group is tallow.

A specific example of quaternary ammonium compounds suitable for use in the in- vention is di-(tallow carboxyemyl)hydroxyethylmethyl ammoniumX ^" .

The softener compatible anion (X ^" ) is merely present as a counterion of the positively charged quaternary ammonium compound. The nature of the counterion anion is not critical at all to the practice of the present invention. The scope of this invention is not considered limited to any particular anion. By "amine precursors thereof is meant the secondary or tertiary amines corresponding to the above quaternary ammonium compounds, said amines being substantially protonated in the compositions due to the pH values of the composition.

The composition preferably comprises a cationic fabric co-softener.

Fabric Co-softener

Fabric co-softeners are understood by the skilled person as non-quaternary hydro- philic compounds that are added to boost softening performance. Preferred levels are from 0.1 to 10% by weight or 0.2 to 5% by weight.

1. Amines

Among the suitable co-softeners are amines of formula (II)

R ³ R ⁴

\ / N

L (H)

R ⁵

at least one, and preferably no more than two, of R ³ , R ⁴ and R ⁵ are Ci ₆ - ₂₂ alkyl or al- kenyl (preferably alkenyl), preferably Ci _7- ^ ideally Ci ₈ ; and the remaining group(s),

if any, are Ci _-4 hydroxyalkyl or hydrogen, preferably Ci _-4 hydroxyalkyl, ideally hy- droxyethyl.

2. Silicones

Silicone oils are effective at lubricating and smoothing fibres which allows fibres to slip or glide past each other. Surfactants may need to be used to emulsifying the silicone oils. Although surfactant (typically cationic or non-ionic) is critical to stabilising the silicone emulsion, it is preferred to use the lowest level of surfactant possi- ble. Preferred methods of emulsifying suitable silicone oils are disclosed in Wo0107710 or US2003143176.

Specifically, the preferred silicone oil is based upon dimethylsiloxane silicone, more preferably volatile dimethylsiloxane. The volatile silicones provide surprisingly good fibre lubrication without the risk of unacceptable build-up on the fabric and/or surrounding surfaces due to their volatile nature.

Non-limiting examples of useful silicones in the compositions of the present invention include noncurable silicones such as volatile silicones and polydimethylsilicone, and curable silicones such as aminosilicones, phenylsilicones and hydroxysilicones.

Preferred silicones are those of formula (III)

(Rl)aG _3- a-Si-(-O-SiG ₂ )n-(OSiGb(Rl)2-b)in-O-Si-G _3- a(Rl)a Formula (III)

wherein G is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, phenyl, OH, and/or C1-C8 alkyl; a denotes 0 or an integer from 1 to 3; b denotes 0 or 1; the sum of n + m is a number from 1 to 2,000; Rl is a monovalent radical of formula C _p H _2+p L in which p is an integer from 2 to 8 and L is selected from the group consisting of :

-N(R2)CH ₂ -CH ₂ -N(R2) ₂ ; -N(R2) ₂ ; -N ⁺ (R2) ₃ A-; and -N ⁺ (R^)CH ₂ -CH ₂ N ⁺ H ₂ A-

wherein each R2 is chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen, phenyl, benzyl, saturated hydrocarbon radical, and each A ^' denotes a compatible anion, e. g., a halide ion.

3. Film Forming Rinse Agent

By the use of the term "film forming rinse agent" we mean certain agents that are capable of being dissolved by the surfactant within the composition of the invention but upon dilution of the surfactant in the rinse cycle of the fabric washing machine become immiscible in water and are deposited on the fabric to form a film network over the fabric.

Commercial polyurethane polymers are typically made by the reaction of a diisocy- anate with a hydrocarbyl containing at least two active hydroxil, in the present application polyurethane formed with a hydrocarbyl having at least three active hydrogens is preferred, (an active hydrogen is defined as hydrogen which can be replaced by sodium). The reaction is self sustaining, without by-product formation, and is relatively easily controlled. This mechanism of polymerisation is often named polyaddi- tion.

OCN-R- NCO + HO-R'-OH - ^■ > -( O-OC-NH-R-NH-CO-O-R') _n

wherein n is from 100 to 10,000 and R and R' are each a H or a hydrocarbyl group.

Other co-softeners include, but are not limited to; amine oxides, betaines and alkali metal soaps. The preferred fatty acid precursors of the alkali metal soaps contain a high proportion of unsaturation, with oleyl groups being the most preferred.

Further Ingredients

The composition preferably contains up to 75% by weight of sequestrants, limescale preventatives (such as citric acid and pH modifying agents (such as sodium carbonate).

Additional Components

The composition may also optionally contain up to 5% by weight of additional com- ponents of at least one of the following; antioxidants and reductive agents, bacterio- cides, natural or synthetic extracts, antifoam agents, desiccants, enzymes, bleaches, bleach activators, hydrotropes, opacifiers, foam controllers, preservatives, disinfectants, pearlising agents), optical brighteners, dye transfer inhibitors, colour fading inhibitors, and aesthetic ingredients, for example fragrances and colorants.

Antifoam Agent

The addition of an antifoam agent may be necessary to avoid excess generation of foam during the rinse cycle. Preferably up to 5%wt, ideally less than 3%wt or 2%wt. Typically such agents are silicones.

The term "silicone" has become a generic term which encompasses a variety of relatively high-molecular weight polymers containing siloxane units and hydrocarbyl groups of various types. Generally, the silicone antifoam agents can be described as siloxanes having the general structure: wherein n is from 20 to 2,000, and where each R independently can be an alkyl or an aryl radical. Examples of such substituents are methyl, ethyl, propyl, isobutyl, and phenyl. Preferred polydiorganosiloxanes are polydimethylsiloxanes having trimethylsilyl endblocking units.

The antifoam agent of the typically further comprises as a water-soluble or water- dispersable organic carrier a surfactant-containing solution.

The surfactant containing solution comprise a surfactant which can be selected from nonionic and/or anionic and/or cationic and/or ampholytic and/or zwitterionic and/or semi-polar surfactants.

Hvdrotrope

Hydrotrόpes aid in the solubility or dispersibility of different surfactants in aqueous solution. This usually has the side effect of lowering the viscosity of the resulting mixture.

Examples of suitable and preferred hydrotropes are the alkali metal salts of a benzene, cumene, toluene and xylene sulfonate, ideally the sodium salt.

Hydroptopes may be added from 0.1 to 10% by weight, ideally no more that 5% by weight.

The invention is illustrated in the following non limiting examples, in which all percentages are on an active weight % basis unless otherwise stated.

Examplel

The Granulated Formula is prepared and dried before being sprayed with perfume ("Total Formula").

Praepagen HY is the C 12- 14 alkyl hydroxyethyl dimethyl ammonium chloride providing softening benefit.